But this middle-aged censor actually didn't understand?
Or... was he pretending not to?
Hearing this, Gu Chengyin could not help but look at the middle-aged censor with a bit of admiration.
Yes, admiration.
To dare jump out at this time and play this trick on him.
He was either a reckless fool, or...
He had someone backing him.
Gu Chengyin's gaze swept across the censor's face, and then across the people behind him.
The Luodu Censorate, the Luodu Ministry of Justice, the Luodu Ministry of Rites.
Three groups of people, lined up neatly.
Interesting.
Gu Chengyin smiled lightly and spoke:
Lord Censor, do you mean to say...
He paused, his tone leisurely:
If I don't wear a cangue and shackles, I cannot enter Luodu?
Hearing this, the middle-aged censor puffed out his chest, raising his voice a few notches:
The Great Luo Laws decree!
All imperial criminals must wear a cangue around their neck and shackles on their feet to prevent escape during transit!
This matter is fully in accordance with the rules and the law!
Even if this is brought before His Majesty, this official has a clear conscience!
Listening to this, Gu Chengyin's smile deepened.
What a matter fully in accordance with the rules and the law, what a clear conscience.
He could not help but shake his head gently:
What a hostile welcoming party.
Just as he finished speaking.
Lin Qingyan, who had been silent by his side, suddenly spoke up:
You are the one who has come.
They are at most just lackeys.
The entire scene fell dead silent.
The censor's face instantly flushed the color of pig liver.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But meeting Lin Qingyan's cold and indifferent eyes, the words that reached his lips were forced back down.
Lin Qingyan.
Jingzhe of the Celestial Master Mansion.
How could a lowly censor like him dare to clash head-on with her?
But if he cowed like this, how would he explain it to that lord?
The middle-aged censor gritted his teeth and braced himself to speak:
Lord Jingzhe, that is not what this humble official meant...
Lin Qingyan did not look at him.
Her gaze fell somewhere in the empty air, as if the people before her were not worth a second glance.
The middle-aged censor's words were left hanging in the air, with no one responding.
The atmosphere reached the peak of awkwardness.
Watching this scene, Gu Chengyin almost laughed out loud.
He coughed lightly, suppressing his amusement, and waved his hand at the censor:
Lord Censor, my little aunt is straightforward with her words. Please do not take it to heart.
The middle-aged censor's complexion only then eased slightly.
He was just about to say a few polite words to save face when he heard Gu Chengyin continue:
However, Your Lordship just said that we must act according to the Great Luo Laws...
Gu Chengyin paused, his gaze falling on the censor's face, brimming with smiles:
This imperial criminal would like to ask for some guidance.
The middle-aged censor's heart tightened.
Gu Chengyin's voice was unhurried:
According to the Great Luo Laws, whoever escorts an imperial criminal is responsible for them.
For my return to the capital this time, my escort is my little aunt.
Gu Chengyin turned his head to look at Lin Qingyan:
Little aunt, did you put a cangue and shackles on this imperial criminal?
Lin Qingyan glanced at him.
Although she remained as cold as ever, there was a trace of reproach hidden in her eyes that only Gu Chengyin could see.
She spoke indifferently:
No.
Gu Chengyin nodded and turned back to look at the middle-aged censor:
Lord Censor, did you hear that? My little aunt says no.
The middle-aged censor's face changed.
Gu Chengyin continued:
According to the Great Luo Laws, since the escort did not put a cangue and shackles on the imperial criminal, then it is the escort's matter.
If Your Lordship wishes to pursue accountability, you should pursue my little aunt, rather than stopping this imperial criminal from entering the city.
Gu Chengyin's smile deepened as he pointedly remarked:
Or could it be...
He dragged out his tone:
You feel that because my little aunt did a poor job, you are preparing to give her some pointers?
As soon as these words came out, the middle-aged censor's face turned completely pale.
He abruptly turned his head to look at Lin Qingyan.
Lin Qingyan's expression remained cold, as if she had heard nothing.
But her eyes narrowed slightly.
The middle-aged censor's legs instantly went weak, and he immediately cupped his hands in a bow:
This... this humble official would not dare!
He said repeatedly, his voice trembling:
This humble official absolutely has no such intentions! Lord Jingzhe's handling of matters is naturally... perfectly fine!
Gu Chengyin nodded:
That is more like it.
He waved his hand at Chen Busha:
Deputy Group Leader Chen, since the Lord Censor has no objections, let us enter the city.
Chen Busha understood his intention and immediately shouted loudly:
Enter the city!
But right at this moment.
The middle-aged censor gritted his teeth and suddenly raised his head.
His face was pale, the cold sweat on his forehead yet to dry, but his eyes were filled with the madness of a desperate gamble.
He shouted loudly once again:
Lord Jingzhe!
This shout used up all the strength in his body, so sharp that his voice almost cracked.
The middle-aged censor's voice continued to ring out, speaking extremely fast, as if he was afraid that if he stopped, he would never be able to continue:
According to the Great Luo Laws, when an imperial criminal passes through a city, they must be detained in the Ministry of Justice prison, to... to...
He could no longer speak the rest of his words.
Because Lin Qingyan had locked her eyes onto him.
Just a moment ago, she was merely cold and distant, but now her gaze was quenched in ice, carrying undisguised killing intent.
It was as if in the next instant, golden lightning would surge forth and blast this reckless fool into fine powder.
The middle-aged censor's mouth hung open, but he could not produce any sound.
His legs had already gone soft; if not for someone supporting him from behind, he would have likely collapsed to the ground.
He knew he was finished.
But he could not retreat.
Because the person behind him would not let him retreat.
The middle-aged censor closed his eyes, waiting for that golden lightning to fall.
Ultimately, the lightning did not fall.
A figure blocked his front.
Gu Chengyin.
He stood between Lin Qingyan and the middle-aged censor, his back to the censor, facing Lin Qingyan.
Like a wall, he forcefully severed that gaze full of killing intent.
Gu Chengyin reached out his hand, gently grasping Lin Qingyan's hand, and said softly:
Little aunt, there is no need to be angry.
The killing intent in Lin Qingyan's eyes paused slightly.
He is just cannon fodder. If you really make a move, the loss will outweigh the gain.
Lin Qingyan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the killing intent in her eyes gradually withdrew.
It was replaced by her usual coldness.
She nodded slightly, saying nothing.
Gu Chengyin smiled, gently squeezed Lin Qingyan's hand, and then turned around.
His gaze fell on the middle-aged censor's face.
His face was as pale as paper, and the cold sweat on his forehead trickled down his cheeks.
His entire body was teetering on the verge of collapse. The few officials behind him also kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet Gu Chengyin's eyes.
Gu Chengyin sighed softly, carrying an indescribable sense of pity.
Even if I don't go to the Ministry of Justice prison, what can you do to me?
The middle-aged censor's lips trembled, unable to speak.
Gu Chengyin continued, his tone leisurely:
Anyway, I am already an imperial criminal. The worst that can happen is decapitation.
Right at this moment, Gu Chengyin suddenly changed the subject and shouted sternly:
Deputy Group Leader Chen!
Chen Busha had been waiting on the side all along, and upon hearing this, he immediately stepped forward.
Standing by Gu Chengyin's side, he respectfully cupped his hands:
Present!
Gu Chengyin's voice was clear and bright, spreading across the entire city gate:
Pass down my orders!
Everyone will stay at the Fan Tower! Spend as much money as you want!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
